Dispensing valve



Feb. 19, 1957 Filed Jan. 8, 1953 T. R. PRITCHARD DISPENSING VALVE 2Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 8, 1953 lllll UnitedStates Patent DISPENSING VALVE Application January 8, 1953, Serial No.330,202

' 1 claim. (ci. zzz-s2) This invention relates to a vdispensing value ofthe type generally associated with pressure vessels.

The object of this invention is to provide an hermetically sealedclosure for pressure vessels until they are readied for use, andthereafter a tight closure operable at the will of the user of thevalve. Another object is to provide means within a valve closure forintermittently releasing a measured quantity of material from acontainer. Still another object is to provide a leakproof closureirrespective of the position in which it may be held or stored.

A further object is to provide an intermittent valve closure suitablefor use with containers holding gases or liquids under pressure and fromwhich they are to be released in gaseous or atomized form. It is also anobject of the invention to enable simple and economical construction ofan intermittent valve closure in which such invention is embodied.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a valve closure aixed to the mouth of apressure vessel, only a fragmentary upper portion of the latter beingshown.

Figure 2 is a front view of the closure of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top view of the closure of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in which the same number refers to the same ora similar part, the valve closure is shown mounted on, and within, themouth of container 1. Outwardly, as shown in Figures l, 2, and 3, thereis visible of the valve closure finger piece or button 2 which isvertically slidable in sleeve 10; projection 8, an integral part ofbutton 2 coniined and slidable in slot 9 of sleeve 10; and wall 11 bywhich the valve closure is secured to container 1.

Referring to Figure 4, button 2 is shown having an outer wall and innerwall 3, spaced so that centrally located chamber 4, groove 5, andchamber 6 are formed between them. Opening outward of chamber 6 throughprojection 8 is outlet port 7. The base of the valve closure is formedwith an outer wall 11 and an inner wall 12 between which sleeve 10 isrmly secured. Within this base portion valve plunger 13 is free to slidein the collar formed by inner wall 12. To normally keep button 2extended, spring retainer 15 seated in groove 17 of plunger 13 bearsupon one end of compressible spring 16 which at its other end rests andbears on inner wall 12.

Within plunger 13 there is central passage 14 which opens out upwardlythrough the top of the plunger into chamber 4 and at its lower endoutwardly laterally through the side of the plunger. Plunger 13 hasshoulder 13 formed as shown, and, when button 2 is in its normalupwardly extended position, shoulder 18 as Well as the side of plunger13 bears against 0 ring 19 and thus the lower portion of the plunger isconfined within cup 23 and its movement limited therein.

lee l Loosely coupled to plunger 13 at its lower end is` extension 20,at the bottom of which piercing point 21 is centrally located. The lowerportion of plunger 13 and all of extension 20 is enclosed Awithin atubular body or cup 23 which is lirmly secured at its upper end betweenwalls 11 and 12. Cup 23 is sealed within the upper enlarged portion ofsiphon 25, the bottom of which is not shown on the drawings.

Directly opposite point 21, cup 23 is provided with a thin area 24 ofsuch thickness that it may be readily pierced by pressing point 21 uponit. Spring 22 bearing against shoulder 18 on one end and on a shoulderformed in extension 20 at the other end, normally urges extension 20 andpoint 21 against the base of cup 23 separating plunger 13 4from itsextension by space 27.

Neither the periphery of shoulder 18 or of extension 20 closely iits theinner Wall of cup 23, the loose t being intended to furnish slidableengagement with clearance for the free ow of a lluid under pressurebetween the opposing surfaces.

The use and operation of this valve closure is as follows. i

The valve closure is assembled with Siphon 25 and except for crimping ofwall 11 appears as in Figure 4 just prior to its application to acontainer as a closure. It is placed within the mouth of a closure andWall 11 then crimped around such mouth with packing ring 28 to form aseal for contents subsequently to be introduced in the container.Normally, a container to hold fluids under pressure is lled through afilling hole in the bottom of the container and after the container isfull this hole is permanently sealed olf. With the closure illustratedherein being seated in the mouth of the container the contents will thenbe completely contained and secure against leakage.

When use is to be made of the container contents, button 2 is presseddownward against the resistance of spring 16, carrying with it plunger13, which, when it almost reaches the end of its stroke will close space27 and bear on extension 20 causing point 21 to pierce area 24 of cup23. Releasing button 2 will restore plunger 13 to the position shown inFigure 4 and at the same time, through the opening made in area 24, thecontained fluid under pressure in container 1 will pass upward throughthe Siphon 25 lifting extension 2t) upward against the yieldingresistance of spring 22 thus permitting the fluid to till chamber 26 incup 23. The valve closure is now ready for use. The next completedownward movement of button 2 will connect chamber 26 with passage 14,chamber 4, groove 5, chamber 6 and outlet port 7. During this process ofescape, plunger 13 will hold point 21 in the hole it has made in area24, preventing the escape of uid from container 1 while the plunger isdepressed thus limiting the discharge to only such uid as is present inchamber 26. Release of button 2 will again cut off chamber 26 fromoutlet port 7 and permit iluid from the container to fill chamber 26 inreadiness for another release cycle.

O ring 19 bearing against plunger 13 seals cup 23 so that no fluid mayescape from it except by way of passage 14.

If instead of a factory attached va-lve closure it is desired to attachsuch a closure to a pressure vessel having a pierceable seal amodiiication may be made. The closure instead of a cup with a base maybeprovided with a tube having an open end adapted to cover the pierceableseal of the vessel. Suitable conventional means for securing the closurein leakproof engagement into the vessel will be employed to secure thesame results as the structure illustrated herein.

It is obvious that in other details the construction illustrated hereinmay be modified without departing from the scope of this invention andby furnishing the illus- Patented Feb. 19, 119571'v 3 tration hereingiven, it is not intended to thereby limit such scope.

What I claimis:

A dispensing valve adapted for use with a pressure vessel open at thetop, comprising a valve adapted to close and hermeticall'y sealr theopen top' of the pressure ves'sel; a depending cup with a pierceablevbottom, forn'd in the base of the valve;- al sleeve with a` verticalslof in its Wall, extending upward from suoli base; a' plunger slideablyclosing the op'enin'g of the c'up in sealing engagement therewith,having a finger piece' confined and slideable within the sleeve inengagement with its slot',- and within the cup having an extensible endterminating in a piercing point with` yieldable meansv urging theextensible end and the piercing' point against the bottom of the cup;yieldable means urging the iinger piece u'tward of the sleeve; a'chamber Within the cp communi- 4 cating with the bottom thereof; and apassage throug the plunger connecting an outlet port through the slotengaging portion of the finger piece with an inlet port in the side ofthe plunger, the said inlet port being spaced from the end of thepiercing point so that it will be within the chamber only when theplunger is depressed and the pierceable bottom is penetrated by thepiercing point.

References- Cited in the le' of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,328,863 Threm Sept. 7, 1943 2,450,461 Wallach Oct. 5, 1948 2,569,975Cone Oct. 2, 1951 2,621,973 Lodes Dec. 16, 1952 2,667,991 Boyer Feb. 2,1954

